^^ Anitra's Pact of the Chain Alter ^^

— Arcata, Muradin's Tower, Anitra —

An irritating buzzing noise woke me up, the fourth day I had existed in this weird new world. Unlike my normal alarm, this was more like a vibrator that'd been left on and was slowly losing its battery, which confused me greatly, at first, until I opened my eyes and found my Status Screen in front of my eyes, even though I hadn't called it up.

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Name: Anitra Arcata
Age: 12
Tier: 1
Level: 50(0%)
Class: Champion of Muradin
—Titles—
Dungeon Master
—Stats—
Health: 1760/1760
Mana: 1760/1760
Strength: 91
Dexterity: 50
Constitution: 126
Intelligence: 126
Perception: 91
Charisma: 50
Stat Points: 12
—Skills—^
—Granted Spells—^
—Unique Skills—^
—Dungeon Management—^
—Familiars—^
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Gained: XP 50% (x2) for Crafting a Summoning/Resurrection Relic (x5)
Gained: XP 25% (x2) for Summoning a Fae Creature (x2)!
Gained: XP 25% (x2) for Summoning a Deva!
Gained: XP 250% (x2) for Crafting a Lesser Empyrean of Muradin (Magic Knight)!
Gained: XP 600% (x2) for Crafting/Summoning (12) Humanoid Magic Familiar/Golems.
Level Up x3! (->50!)
Spells Gained:—^
Enhanced Spells:—^
Stat Points: 12!
Excess XP (1820%) Banked)!!! (Time Limit Till 10% Loss: 1:57:59...58...57)
Congratulations! You've Reached Tier Two!
Choose your Tier Two Class!!!
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((( Divine Message (Muradin): You have several options; as a Champion of Me, you are a Mage/Paladin Subclass, so I'm sorry you can't be a Pure Paladin and get a Capstone Ability at Tier Seven. )))
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I blinked slowly, glaring at the screen, then sighed a long, irritated sigh before dragging myself out of the bed. "What time is it, if you've decided that it's time I wake up and deal with this?"

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((( Divine Message (Muradin): Your XP was about to disappear. )))
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"What time is it?" I insisted, pulling on my pants and starting on my leather boots, which fit into my Plate Boots snugly, to prevent any moving around.

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((( Divine Message (Muradin): ... It is 2:15 AM. )))
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I paused, holding my boot laces, and sighed again, undoing the boot I'd already done and tossing them both back towards the pile of clothes at the end of my bed, followed by my pants. "Fucking gods who don't respect peoples' sleep schedules... stupid idiot... fuckin... grumble..."

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((( Divine Message (Muradin): Are you finished? )))
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"Shut up and let me choose a stupid subclass..." I groaned, rubbing my head, then yelped as I was dropped rudely onto my ass in a room full of mirrors. Each mirror, as I dusted myself off and observed them, seemed to show a different version of an armored individual with a mace, so I assumed each was essentially me, with a different Tier Two Class. "Hmph... could've just given me a fuckin' list... ferkacte Muradin... 2:15 in the fuckin' morning... fine, what's my choices, eh? This one has her Grimoire out, little crystal shields... some sorta defensive Mage? Meh, stupid, I already know Forcewall, take your ferkacte barriers up your ass... Fire Mage, you boring shmuck, pyromancers are worthless in an enclosed environment like a Dungeon; limited oxygen to burn means suffocation and breathing in ashes... Water Mage, equally basic, but somewhat more useful, except that in a dungeon there is no water source, so unless I bring a decanter of endless water with me, that's pointless... might still do that, actually; even if I have access to Create Food and Water, endless water could be interesting... except it has to come from somewhere, so it's probably a bad idea in a sealed room." The next mirror I found was just me, but with a glowing aura around it, like a passive effect, which I found intriguing. "And what's this one? Some kinda Paladin?"

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((( Message: Champion, actually. A continuation of your current class and a Doubled Stat Point Allocation; Four each in Int and Con, Two each in Perception and Strength, Eight extra Stat Points per level. )))
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"And no new abilities?"

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((( Message: None. This is the only Class that will give you a Capstone, though. )))
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"What's the Capstone, then, for Champion?"

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((( Message: ... The ability to send oneself to and from their Deity's Divine Realm at will. )))
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"So a limited Plane Shift ability? Seriously? Tier Seven Capstone, Welcome To Demigodhood, Here's Your... Utterly Worthless Spell That You Can Cast Already?"

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((( Message: Only you could cast Plane Shift at Tier Seven without a gods help, and that's because of the Dragon Magic you now possess through a Divine Gift; don't get too sassy with me, my patience is not infinite. )))
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"Oh? And? What will you do? Murder me again? Shush your mouth, you ferkacte bag of stale latkes!" I snorted at their warning, unconcerned, then walked past that mirror towards another one, where there was a me that was grown, wearing a silk robe and smoking a thin pipe atop a throne and surrounded by money. "Ugh, that's fucking gaudy as hell..."

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((( Message: The Royal Merchant Class. Rare, and Potent. Four Points into Charisma every level, Two Points into Intelligence, and Four Extra; thats what you get right now, but with your Gifts... you'd actually get Eight Points in Charisma every level, Four in Int, and Eight left over... Potent, like I said. It requires a Mage Class Base and a Royal Background, as well as the Bartering Skill. I won't tell you to get it, but it's one of the classes with the most Stat Points in the Second Tier, having as many as a Common Third Tier Class. )))
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"Interesting... Eight Charisma, huh? Maybe. That one is a Maybe." I nodded, making a note of the Mirror's location before moving on. More mirrors showed more options, all of which I rejected, though I did make a note to ask how many Stat Points they gave. Eventually, though, I reached one that made me stop in my tracks; an armored individual covered in a ratty cloak, and several small Imps scattered around them, some of them climbing into the summoner's shadow to disappear completely, some climbing out like the shadow was a pool of ink. "Oooh, summoner?"

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((( Message: The Pact of the Chain Class? Incredibly potent, not at all beneath the Royal Merchant. Summoning Magic does exist in this world, in an extremely limited fashion, but usually one can only summon creatures you have captured; the creatures are not created by the spells, unlike your versions. Requires a contract with an otherplanar entity, such as a Deity, but as a champion that is pretty simple to manage. The Stats are great, with Four Points Each in Charisma, Intelligence, and Perception, with Twelve Extra, for Twenty-Four Total, due to your Buffs. Most people have to wait until Tier Four for Stat Boosts like that, but with a Rare Class and a x2 buff to stat points, you skip two Tiers with your allocation, and any Pact Class gets you something a little extra, so I can throw in a few stat points for your growth. )))
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"Oh? Hmm... I like that very much... let's see the rest of my options, but this one is definitely a winner so far!"

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((( Message: This is the best of them all, to be honest, given your Familiars and penchant for summoning. )))
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"Sure, but with no Combat boosting abilities? I mean, I can already cast Summoning Magic; I don't need more. Is there a Pact of the Blade, or a Sorlock?"

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((( Message: I don't know what a 'Sorlock' is, but there is a Pact of the Blade, though what good a summonable sword would do you, I don't know. )))
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"Just as little as new summoning Magic, it's the Stats I'm interested in. A Blade Class would increase Dexterity and Constitution, right?"

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((( Message: Dexterity, yes, but not Constitution. Constitution is a mainstay of Defender Classes like Paladin or Heavy Knight, not Attacking Classes. Dex +4, Cha +4, Int +4, 10 Extra. )))
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"What about the extra two?"

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((( Message: I wouldn't be the one giving you that one; I'm not a Warrior God. )))
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"Ahh, fair... well, I'm not too keen to sign another contract without reading it, so if there's no physical contract for me to sign, I'm out."

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((( Message: Easily done. )))
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Will you Choose Pact of the Chain as your Tier Two Class?
Requirements: Slaying two Same-Tier Beings per day, or suffer -25% Mana Regen.
Perks: 4 Extra Stat Points per Level, Increased Efficiency in Summoning Mana Requirements, Free Demiplanar Familiar Storage Space.
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"Huh... nice. I suppose a warlock class requiring sacrifices is pretty normal, I don't mind killing some monsters in my dungeon every day for XP... are these the only Rare Classes I have access to? I was hoping for a Physical Combat Class like Heavy Knight or something, but I don't see it."

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((( Message: None that give you anything useful, other than Merchant and Warlock. The only Rare Combat Class you have access to is Magic Knight, but that will limit your access to actual Magical Casting, in the future. )))
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"Right, I guess that makes sense... now, before I accept this contract, tell me one more thing?"

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((( Message: What is it? )))
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"What's your Name?"

Silence... the screen disappeared briefly, before returning, now a bright blue color with gold borders.

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((( Message: How did you Guess? )))
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"You're stupid, you don't know what a Sorlock is, your messages aren't labeled as Divine Messages, y'know, lots of things. So what's your name, and are you a Deity or an Entity?" I sat down on the ground, casually beginning to draw a Magic Circle around myself, completing it in moments and trying to push mana into it, only to find myself magically impotent. "That's unfortunate."

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((( Message: Hmph... my name is beyond your Ken, but I suppose if you sign the contract, I'll tell you. )))
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"Make you a deal: you tell me your name, what you are, what your intentions are in hijacking my Tier Two Class Change, and I'll sign your contract, so long as you give me everything you promised."

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((( Message: You would Betray Muradin so easily? )))
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"I'm not a Devout of Muradin, so I'm not really required to be your enemy, and if you're giving me something to increase my strength, I'm interested." I shrugged, thinking of who this could be. "You're probably a rival deity, right? No, it's not a divine message... Muradin said there are no Demons, but Dark Gods existed... are you a Cthulhu-Esque Eldritch Being?"

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((( Message: Not far from the truth, I suppose, though I don't know who Cthulhu is. If you will accept my bargain, I will tell you my name, you have my word. )))
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"Other way around, big boy, and you have to swear it's your True Name, what people actually know you as."

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((( Message: ... I sense trickery... why do you need my Name? )))
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"So I can research you, and so I can find you with magic if you ever betray me and run away into the dark dimensions. Once I become a Demigod, I won't forget any betrayals; after all, I'm a very vindictive, vicious person, once attacked."

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((( Message: Ahhhh, yes, I did sense that about you... fine, I shall tell you my name. I am called Rackhavic, Elder Demigod of Shadows. I came here to steal away Muradin's Final Champion, and instead I found a curious little rabbit, who may make a proper follower for me some day. )))
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"So signing a contract with you breaks my contract with Muradin?"

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((( Message: No, but it will weaken them, as I will be taking a bit of your Mana Regeneration passively. )))
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"That wasn't part of our contract, Rackhavic, so no, you won't... but I'll be enjoying the benefits, regardless." I accepted the contract, watching the mirrors shatter, all but one, the one with the Warlock in it. This one seemed to fade away, leaving me in a room with that being, staring at me impassively. "Oh dear... I'm meant to learn something from you, aren't I?"

In answer, she raised her hands, and dozens of Imps appeared from her shadow, rushing towards me like a small wave of hate and fire.

—

My eyes opened again, slowly, and I sighed at the familiar view of my bedroom in the Demiplanar Tower. "Muradin? Tell me you can see my memories and can tell me how fucked I am?"

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((( Divine Message (Muradin): Quite. )))
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"Fuck." I groaned, standing up slowly and getting dressed. "What time is it?"

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((( Divine Message (Muradin): 2:16. )))
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I paused, holding my boots, then sighed, continuing to dress. "Alright, well, I need a room in the Cathedral, made of Luxos Metal, or whatever would be best suited for resisting the attacks of an Eldritch Being."

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((( Divine Message (Muradin): Easily Done; the entire Tower is made of Holy Metal, and would burn such an unclean being just upon contact. None of their Magic would affect it. )))
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((( Message (Rackhavic): Now that's not nice! Why would you hide from me? )))
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((( Divine Message (Muradin): Oh, Great, the Thieving Rat has a Voice. Joy. )))
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"Shut up, both of you, I need some privacy for a moment."

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((( Message (Rackhavic): Aww, tired of me already? )))
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"No, it's two o clock in the morning and I'm awake, so I need to take a shit, and I don't want you two jackasses watching." I responded dryly, silencing them both and then casting Mindblank on myself to block their attempts at reading my mind, then Dispel Evil and Good, Forbiddance, and Nystul's Magic Aura to halt their ability to Scry on me or Teleport to me.

After a full minute of silence, I nodded and went into the Cathedral, finding the new room Muradin had made above the Mythallar and beneath the Dark Market, accessible only with an Essence Matching. Inside, I found a white room with nothing visible, just a white cube, and I grinned savagely. "Oooh, yeah... Muradin knows how to treat a girl, that's true..."

"A misunderstanding due to your phrasing, but I shall ignore it." When I flinched and rolled forward, summoning my mace and shield, I found myself looking over my shield at a tall woman with blonde hair and a golden aura around herself, smiling gently down at me from her nearly seven feet of height. "I am Luxos, though I imagine you already noticed that, as my love did make many large statues of me here."

"How can you prove that?"

She cocked her head slowly, then hummed. "I can't, I suppose?"

"Swear on a Geas, and I'll accept that it's true." A silver contract appeared in front of her, detailing that her name was indeed Luxos and she was a Champion of Muradin, and she had no ill intentions towards me, my guild, or my Tower.

She read it in the blink of an eye, then signed with a flourish, smiling at how quaint I seemed, in her elevated gaze. "Easy enough, no harm done! Now, how should I help you? Muradin said you'd gotten yourself mixed up with a Demigod of Shadows, and you need help getting rid of him?"

"No, I just need to Trap them, and I know how. If you can provide a strong Ink for the enchantments, that'd be helpful? I intend to merge my Demiplane with this room, enchanting it with Planar Binding and Magic Circles, then casting Gate in the center to drag my passenger here against their will. I may need help dragging them through the portal, so if you're good in a scrap, that could be useful, too."

She raised one slim eyebrow slowly. "You intend to capture it? Why?"

"So I don't lose the strength they promised me? Because I plan on making this room a Prison for Extraplanar Entities, wherein their mana is drained from them and filtered through the Mythallar for Muradin's use, and of course my own? I may not be a Devout of Muradin, but seeing as I don't want the World to End, any method I can find to empower myself and fuck over our enemies, I'll take it in a heartbeat."

She smiled again, shaking her head as she began to walk around the room, touching the walls and leaving small trails in her wake that expanded until they looked like a Planar Binding Enchantment. "Will that work?"

"Almost; I'm placing the enchantment rings in concentric circles... first will be Gate, second Cube of Force, third Magic Circle, then Planar Binding, which you've already handled, in... a particularly inefficient, but pretty fashion."

Her eyebrow raised again, frowning at me. "You disapprove of my methods?"

"I think they're aesthetically beautiful, but wasteful, considering I have to add more enchantments, and you've just used all the available space with your... mural."

She glanced at the walls, covered in golden drawings, and blushed delicately. "Ah."

"Yep." I nodded, and watched as the golden ink poured off the walls and pooled in the air next to me. "Thanks." First was the Gate, which I placed in the exact center and made one-way with a reversed Magic Circle, so it would only ever be able to pull things in, not let things out.

"I like your concept... a bit too Practicallist for my tastes, but carefully drawn, powerful. Just a bit of flair, should do it!" The enchantment suddenly gained a more esoteric format as she flicked a hand at it, making me glare at her thunderously.

"It isn't Art, Luxos, it's an Enchantment; you're pointing out that I'm making the enchantment more efficient by removing the fluff that has no purpose, as if that's a bad thing, but inefficiency will only deepen the burden on Muradin, because they have to cover all the gaps that are made by said Fluff! Are you going to continue making worthless aesthetic alterations to my Enchantments, or are you going to be useful?"

The tall woman leaned away from my snapping voice, frowning down at me. "Well that's just rude!"

I seethed instantly, exploding at her in a rage, my voice echoing in the metal room. "I'M TRYING TO SAVE MY FUCKING SOUL WHILE YOU PLAY AROUND WITH YOUR FUCKING FINGER PAINT YOU BRAINLESS LITTLE SCHMUCK!!!"